


fire and the flood

by emilia_kaisa



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Caretaking, F/M, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Jordan Parrish Is Too Good For This World, Lydia is Perfect, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Slow Burn, no mentions of supernatural, srsly how do i tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-07-19 05:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7347475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilia_kaisa/pseuds/emilia_kaisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically a fic in which Jordan has to take care of three kids and Lydia of course won't let him do it all alone.</p><p>(on hiatus)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I'm after my exams so it's a fanfiction time! Hope you enjoy!  
> Warning: crazy grammar, articles and typos!  
> 'Fire and the flood' by Vance Joy

 

Jordan sighed deeply and stretched his neck; it was almost 10 pm and he was pretty tired after a long day at a station. He had had to take care of too many drunk teenagers, wandering across the town. Seriosuly, when he had been their age he hadn’t been drinking. At least not that much. What was the fun in getting drunk to the point you were loosing control?

The clock finally showed 10 pm and Jordan wasted no time; he quickly checked if everything was okay and then rushed to his car. Fifteen minutes later he was surrounded by a familiar silence of his apartment. He wasn’t hungry so he just showered quickly and headed straight to his bed, letting out a sigh of relief when he could finally lay down his tired head. He was on the verge of falling asleep when his smartphone made a quiet sound and really, he was close to grabbing it and throwing it across the room. But luckily before he had a chance to do that he glanced at the screen and saw Lydia’s name and a soft smile formed on his lips.

**from Lydia, 10.47 pm**

**Are you home? Can I call you?**

Jordan didn’t bother with replying; he instantly hit the green button and raised the phone to his ear, feeling his heart sped up a bit.

Lydia answered almost immediately and Jordan could swear he heard a quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips but maybe it was just his imagination.

‘I’m sorry that I’m bothering you.’ she said and Jordan almost laughed because really, she should know better.

‘You never bother me.’ he said honestly ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Yeah, I just...’ she trailed off and for a moment she was quiet; Jordan waited patiently, smiling slightly to himself.

‘I don’t know.’ Lydia finally said and he could almost see the shrug of her shoulders ‘I guess I just wanted to hear your voice.’

‘That’s okay.’ it was more than okay but she didn’t need to know that, at least not now.

‘I haven’t seen you in a while.’ Lydia said and her words were true; lately he was totally snowed under and he barely had time to eat or just do something for himself. Well, that was his job and lately they didn’t have enough deputies to do everything what was needed.

‘I’ve a lot to do.’

It was so good to talk to her, to hear her voice. God, he had missed that sound.

‘You work too much.’ Lydia said and he could hear in her voice that she wasn’t pleased with that ‘I bet you don’t eat enough too.’

‘I’m fine, Lydia.’ Jordan said quickly but of course she could see through his words with almost scary ease.

‘Tomorrow, your place, 6pm.’ she said firmly ‘I’ll cook you something that isn’t pizza.’

That wasn’t fair, he didn’t only eat pizza, Chinese take out was also his common meal.

‘Lydia, you don’t have to cook for me.’ she still had school duties, he couldn’t let her take care of him, he was the one who should be responsible ‘And I don’t know if sheriff...’

‘Leave him to me.’ Lydia cut him off ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

There was no way he could deny her anything so he just sighed and nodded.

‘Tomorrow.’

He heard her soft laughter and he just had to grin to himself.

‘Goodnight, Jordan.’

He felt asleep a moment later with a soft smile still on his lips.

 

When his phone rang again it was still dark outside and for a moment Jordan had no idea what was going on. For a moment he thought that maybe it was Lydia and he felt a sting of concern next to his heart. But when he grabbed the phone he noticed that it was and unknown number.

‘Hallo?’

‘Dr James McGregor, San Francisko General. Am I talking to Jordan Parrish?’

‘Yes.’ Jordan felt cold fear spreading in his chest ‘What happened?’

‘I’m sorry that I’m calling you at such an hour.’ doctor’s voice was warm and kind, but Jordan could hear sadness behind that ‘But you were Katie Lloyd’s emergency contact.’

‘Yes.’ Jordan managed to say despite his suddenly dry mouth ‘Is she hurt?’

There was a moment of silence before doctor McGregor spoke again.

‘I’m sorry to inform you but she passed away.’

Jordan didn’t feel pain in that moment. It was just emptyness, cold and dark. It was impossible. Katie, his beautiful, kind cousin, his friend, his family. She couldn’t be gone.

‘What happened?’ he heard himself asking but it was like words were leaving his mouth without his will.

‘She was in a car accident.’ doctor explained ‘We did everything we could.’

Jordan nodded, feeling numb and lost and confused. It was all so surrealistic to him, like a dream, a nightmare. Katie couldn’t be gone, what about... Jordan gasped quietly as the sudden thought striked him.

‘What about her children?’

‘That’s why I’m calling you. They were in the car too but they don’t have any major injuries. The girl has a broken arm and boys have a few stitches. From their words I understood that you’re their only family.’

‘Yes.’ Jordan’s heart clenched painfully; he got up quickly and started collecting clothes ‘Yes, I am. I’m on my way.’

‘Thank you. I’m really sorry.’

 

Ride to San Francisko was a nightmare. Jordan’s head was pulsing with pain and thoughts were running wildly. He clenched his fists on the steering wheel and tried to focus on the road and not on that hollow feeling that settled in his chest.

He had called her only three days earlier. She had been so excited about her new job, so happy that she would finally earn enough money to take kids for a holiday. Hawaii, she had wanted to take them to Hawaii. Jordan gritted his teeth as the memories started flooding his head. He had to focus.

He had to tak care of the kids, it was obvious and not under a question. He was their only family and he couldn’t let them be taken away by some strangers. Kid’s father had left them before Sam was born. He had escaped with his lover to China, or maybe it was Thailand, Jordan couldn’t remember. Katie’s father was dead and her mother was in a care house, her mind and memories eaten by alzheimer.

God, Katie was gone. She was just thirty. All Jordan wanted to do was to pull over and start crying but he just inhaled deeply and kept driving, no matter how hard it was in that moment.

 

When he stormed into a waiting room he spotted them immediately; two small figures in uncomfortable plastic chairs, with stooping backs and wet faces. Gina spotted him first, her eyes widened at his sight.

‘Uncle Jordan!’ she exclaimed loudly and rushed to him, bumping into him and hiding her face in his jacket. Second later she was joined by her brother Charlie who also clinged to Jordan as if he was his lifeline. And all Jordan could do was to wrap his arms around the two and stopped himself from crying. He had to be strong for their sake.

‘I’m here now. Everything's going to be okay.'

After a few moments he pulled back a little and looked at the kids; they looked like he was feeling- absolutely and utterly broken. But he had to, he had to keep it inside.

‘Where’s Sam?’

‘He's with a nurse.’ Charlie said, his voice muffled by tears ‘He’s asleep.’

Gina’s right arm was broken and she had a few scratches on her cheeks; Charlie had stitches on his eyebrow but beside that they looked fine.

Jordan wondered how the accident happened; had someone hit the car? He didn’t want to ask in that moment because they were pretty shaken but then Charlie spoke, his voice quiet and broken.

‘A tire broke.’ he said and Jordan’s heart stopped for a moment. A tire. Oh God, when she had called him a few days earlier she had mentioned she would have to buy a new ones. He shook his head, trying to hold himself together.

‘Let’s go get Sam and I’ll take you home.’

 

 

Jordan closed a door behind him and breathed out deeply. A few metres away Sam was sleeping in his crib so Jordan went to the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible. Katie’s apartmet was tiny, so much smaller than his. It had two tiny rooms, kitchen and bathroom. It was definitely too little for four people to live. Jordan sat onto a chair heavily and hid his face in his hands. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep and for a moment forgot what had happened. A policeman had confirmed that it had been a broken tire. It was so stupid, so fucking pointless.

Jordan grabbed his phone and called sheriff Stilinski, explaining why he hadn’t showed at work and asking for a few days of vacation. When he ended the call he spotted that it was almost 5 pm and he realized that he had to call Lydia and inform her that he woulnd’t be able to make it.

As always, she answered immediately.

‘You can’t survive till six without me?’ she teased and normally he would laugh but not that time.

‘I’m sorry, Lydia, but I can’t meet you tonight.’

‘Is it about work?’ Lydia asked, her voice suddenly danerous ‘Because if it is then...’

‘It’s not like that.’ he cut her off and ran his hand through his hair; he didn’t feel strong enough to have that conversation right now but he knew that he had to explain it all to Lydia ‘I’m in San Francisko righ now.’

‘What? What are you doing there?’

‘My cousin died.’ Jordan said without any preparation and his own words hit him hard; he had said it and suddenly it was so real and irreversible.

‘Jordan...’ Lydia’s voice was now soft and full of compassion ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘I need to stay here for a while and organize the funreal. And take care of her children.’

‘Her children?’

‘Three kids. I’m their only family now.’

They were silent for a moment but none of them ended the call.

‘How old are they?’ Lydia finally asked, her voice gentle.

‘Charlie’s thirteen in two months, Gina’s ten and Sam’s two years old. I can’t let them be separated.’ he said and he realized that every word was a promise ‘I’ll take them home with me.’

There was no other way he could do it. It was his family, Katie’s kids. He had to take them with him to Beacon Hills and make sure they would have a good life. That was his responsibility.

He wondered what Lydia would say about his decision; he was practically turning his life upside down. He would be fourty when Sam would be eighteen. Someone would say that he was being and idiot but not Lydia Martin.

‘Then I’ll wait until you come back and cook a dinner for all of you.’ she said simply and those warm, gentle words, her kindness and compassion almost brought tears to Jordan’s eyes.

‘Thank you.’ it was all he could say ‘I’ll call you soon, okay?’

‘Okay.’

He put the phone down and finally let the tears fall.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO  
> I'm really sorry for the long wait and short (and not so good imo) chapter. I had some crazy stuff going on, and a lot changed. I'm slowly getting back to writing so please, be patient with me :)   
> Sorry for spelling mistakes, I didn't have too much time to check everything.

 

Jordan stopped the car before his apartment building and looked at the back seat; Sam and Gina were sleeping but Charlie returned his gace and even tried to smile a little. Jordan’s heart clenched a little- poor kid, he tried so hard to be brave. 

‘Wake up your siblings, okay?’ he asked softly and Charlie nodded, gently poking Sam’s side. Jordan left the car and took out all the kid’s baggage. It wasn’t a lot- a few boxes and two bags filled with clothes and a few toys and books. Kids didn’t own much, Katie never had enough money to buy them all she wanted to, but all their things were clean and solid. 

Charlie and Gina left the car; the girl was holding Sam in her arms. 

‘We’re going to live here?’ she asked quietly, looking at the building.

‘Yeah.’ Jordan said with a smile ‘Do you like it?’

‘It looks nice.’ Gina admitted.

‘I’m glad to hear that. Okay, follow me, guys.’

Three hours later everything was unpacked and rearranged. Jordan put Charlie and Sam in his bedroom and Gina in a tiny guest room. He would stay on a couch; it was more comfortable than it looked. Maybe some day he would have enough money and he would buy a house. Jordan sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, freezing with a knife in his hand. It was so crazy; a few days earlier he was sitting in the police station and his biggest concern was to find something to eat and to get enough sleep. Now he had to prepare dinner for three kids, put them to sleep, drive them to school and take care of them after it. And that at least for the next sixteen years. 

Jordan got back to preparing a meal; he could hear quiet noises of tv coming from the living room and he was glad that kids weren’t crying. They had probably cried all the tears on their mother’s funeral.

He put kids to sleep and fell onto a couch. He was exhausted, phisycally and emotionally. He hadn’t been sleeping good for the past few days, to busy and to tired to fall asleep. He would have to sign up kids to school and find a nanny for Sam. And he should Charlie new shoes, his current ones were falling apart. Thank God the next day was Saturday, he would have all day to figure things out.

Jordan fell asleep with a list of things to buy on his mind.

Jordan woke up suddenly when he felt small hands fisting on his pyjama pants. He blinked a few times and discovered that it was Sam, who was grinning at him widely. 

‘Hey there, little man.’ Jordan greeted the boy, watching as he was trying to climb onto Jordan’s body. 

‘Come here.’ he sighed, picking the boy and standing up ‘How are you so cheerfull in a morning?’ he asked Sam, who fisted his tiny hand in Jordan’s hair and was trying to tug them. 

Jordan was feeling as if he hadn’t slept at all; he was feeling tired but he forced himself to move. Then his muffled mind realized suspicious sounds coming from the kitchen and suddenly he didn’t want to sleep anymore. He rushed there, with Sam making happy noises in his hands, and his eyes saw a literal pandemonium. Flour and eggs were everywhere- on the floor, table, even on the walls. And in the middle of that mess was Gina, with white powder in her hair and guilt written on her face; she was trying to collect broken eggs from the floor, wiping them with one of Jordan’s shirt. When she noticed him her face turned a deep shade of red.

‘I was trying to make a breakfast.’ she said, her voice was trembling with tears. 

‘I see that something went wrong.’ Jordan said lightly, trying to calm Gina down ‘Don’t worry, it’s okay.’

Maybe he should get angry, but why? She tried to do something for him and that was no reason to be mad.

Gina still looked like she was about to cry but she was still wiping the floor with determination. Jordan figured out that he should give her Sam and take care of it by himself but then the door bell rang, loudly and sharply, and Jordan thought that the day was going to be crazy. He left Gina fighting with the mess and he rushed to the door, wondering who the hell could that be.

To be honest, he was pretty annoyed with an unexpected visitor, until he opened the door and saw Lydia Martin standing on his doorstep.

Her eyes widened a little and he realized that he was shirtless, wearing his oldest pyjama pants, with a wiggling toddler in his arms. Not the greatest impression.

’Hi.’ he stuttered, trying to save the situation ‘What are you doing here?’ he could feel blush creeping onto his cheeks, great, just great.

‘Hi.’ Lydia said, her lips curling up into a slight smile ‘I thought you could use some help with breakfast.’

‘Oh God, yes.’ Jordan said before he could think but then he remembered about a disaster in the kitchen ‘Wait, no, we’ve some kind of situation and I don’t want to bother you...’ a second after saying these words he knew that he had made a mistake. He should know that Lydia Martin didn’t know the word ‘no’. 

‘So let me help you.’ she said firmly ‘Maybe introduce me to this little guy right here and then I can see what I can do?’

What could he say to that?

‘This is Sam.’ he said and the boy giggled when he heard his name. He extended his hands to Lydia’s direction.

‘Lady.’ he said with a broad smile and Jordan chuckled quietly.

‘Yes, this is a lady. Lady Lydia.’ he said and he noticed how she smiled broadly at his words.

‘Let me take him, so you can change.’ Lydia suggested and Jordan realized that yeah, he was still shirtless, with his hair messed up by Sam’s little hands. 

‘Yeah, would be great.’ he muttered, handing Sam to Lydia ‘Thank you for that, I’ll be back in a second. Just... don’t go to the kitchen.’

‘Right.’ Lydia said and he immediately knew that she wasn’t going to listen to him. Oh well.

Jordan rushed to his- well, now boys’- bedroom with intention to find some clean clothes, and he discovered that Charlie was still asleep, burried under two blankets. After a short moment of hesitation he decided to let the boy sleep- he had a tough few days and he deserved a long rest. 

He was dressed up two minutes later and he discovered that of course, Lydia had went staright to the kitchen. The kitchen, which was now almost totally cleaned up; Sam was sitting in his chair, eating yougurt and Gina was looking at Lydia as if she was an angel (Jordan was more than ready to agree). And Lydia? Well, Lydia had everything perfectly under control, preparing coffee, cutting tomatoes and talking to Gina at the same time. Seriosuly, that woman was perfect.

‘Oh, there he is.’ she smiled broadly when she was Jordan ‘Coffee’s almost ready.’ 

‘Thank you.’ he said, making his way to a coffee machine and pouring himself a cup ‘You want to?’

‘Yes, please. Milk and...’

‘Two sugars, I know.’ Jordan said before he could stop himself and he noticed how her eyes widened. 

‘That’s right.’ she said after a second, and her voice was strangely quiet and soft, and for a moment Jordan felt stupid. But then she smiled and he knew that everything was okay. 

‘So, where’s the third one? Charlie, yes?’ she asked and Jordan shrugged his shoulders slightly.

‘I let him sleep. He deserve a good rest before coming back to school.’

‘True.’ Lydia nodded and then smiled widely ‘So, who’s ready for breakfast?’ 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Love you all :)


End file.
